Former Ghana Football Association (GFA) vice-president George Afriyie has criticised GFA president Kurt Okraku for calling the Black Stars’ 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign a success.
Ghana reached the Round of 32 for the first time since 2010, but their tournament ended with a 1-0 defeat by Colombia. Although Okraku praised the team’s performance, Afriyie believes advancing beyond the group stage should not be regarded as a significant achievement for a country with Ghana’s football tradition.
“Qualifying for the Round of 32 at the World Cup isn’t success for Ghana,” Afriyie said in a clear challenge to Okraku’s assessment of the campaign.
The former GFA vice-president questioned why Ghana’s progress to the knockout stage was being celebrated. In his view, the Black Stars should be judged against higher expectations, rather than being praised simply for reaching the first elimination round.
Ghana’s appearance in the Round of 32 ended a lengthy wait for progress beyond the group stage, with the team last reaching that stage in 2010. However, the defeat by Colombia meant they could not go further in the competition.
Afriyie also turned his criticism towards Okraku’s leadership of the GFA. He suggested that Okraku did not have enough experience when he took office, raising doubts about the basis on which the president has assessed the national team’s performance.
Okraku’s positive view of the 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign and Afriyie’s response expose a difference in expectations surrounding the Black Stars. While the GFA president focused on the team’s return to the knockout phase, Afriyie argued that such progress did not meet the level Ghana should demand.
The Black Stars will now prepare for the 2027 AFCON qualifiers. Ghana have been drawn in Group C alongside Ivory Coast, The Gambia and Somalia.
Their next qualification campaign will therefore provide the team with another opportunity to demonstrate progress, following a World Cup run that ended in the Round of 32. For Afriyie, however, reaching that stage cannot be treated as the measure of success for Ghana.
